The 3rd stage of the annual John Van Caneghem Tournament (2007).

I understand that the argument is between those who figured out how to exploit the game mechanics and those who didn't.
The number of units should have been reduced, say to 100, and that wouldn't have changed much. But using programs is really unfair; some people have them, and others don't.

The fact that some people have them and others don't is your key point. Introducing any kind of ban won't make those who have these programs disappear; they'll still be there. And those who don't have them still won't. I'm tired of hearing about fairness on these portals. I know for a fact that on other resources, all sorts of automation tools are used, and long battles are completed faster (I won't reveal any usernames – it's pointless to ask). These methods aren't detected if they're applied to battles that can realistically be won, when a player cycles through the battle for several dozen rounds (up to 100 or more) manually and only then considers using these methods. And no bans will change this situation if the map allows for such long, but winnable battles, in my opinion. Because the player will think that someone else, not him, will be saving time on these battles and getting results, while he's wasting time pounding on the keyboard and mouse, or he'll have to give up on the battle and knowingly worsen his results. And then that player will say that he played manually (even though that's not true), and no one will be able to prove otherwise. These are obvious things. And if someone believes, feels, or thinks something about this, that's their right.